Nordic design is different from Scandinavian design even we happily used the word 'Nordic' and 'Scandinavian' in an interchangeable manner. Scandinavia is a peninsula shared by Norway, Sweden and part of northern Finland. Meanwhile, the Nordic countries are composed of an official group called the Nordic Council, which includes Sweden, Norway and Denmark, along with Iceland and Finland, plus three autonomous regions: Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland Islands. Thus, the term "Nordic" is more all-inclusive for the style coming out of those countries in the northwest.

Nordic design, a style characterized by simplicity, minimalism and functionality. Emerging in the 1950s, Nordic design can be characterized by its simple, minimalist and functional qualities, best seen in the work of master designers such as Denmark's Arne Jacobsen, Hans J. Wagner, Verner Panton and Finland's Alvar Aalto. Lots of white. Lots of bright. Nordic design offers a homey, warm interior style with natural color amid the background of white, sand and grey. The interiors include bare or painted wide plank-wood floors, furniture manufactured from birch or pine and fabrics with minimal patterns in white-washed hues. Of course, one should also provide contrast by adding a few dark-colored objects. Too much colour will over power the design. Remember, Nordic interior design takes its cues from the neutral colour palette of surrounding landscapes.

For centuries, Nordic life revolved around the home. In light of the cold climate and long dark winter, the home has to be a comfortable and cozy place. This led to good design combines beauty and functionality. The idea of beautiful and functional everyday objects should not only be affordable to the wealthy but to everyone.

An responsive understanding of their living environment has allowed the Nordic to use available resources sensibly and sparingly. The primary material is wood, followed by stone, clay, leather, metal, wool & furs. Nature has always been the mother of all Nordic design inspiration.

The New Nordic design movement comprising a loose grouping of Scandinavian designers and creatives working towards a holistic integration of global and local approaches. Young Nordic designers — from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden — are trading bentwood and natural cottons for the rugged delights of industrial rubber and polypropylene. They created functional design with true feeling and passion, rather than via mass production. Usually design coming from the Nordic countries is characterized by a certain set of values - humanistic, democratic, organic - or so with the core concept of "beautiful things that make your life better". From art, architecture and design, cuisine, fashion & entertainment, the new Nordic way has won over fans and followers everywhere, as figures such as the Swedish architecture firm Claesson Koivisto Rune , Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson, Danish chef René Redzepi and Finnish firm Marimekko have risen to top of their fields.

Some notable Nordic prominent designer & company:

• Arne Jacobsen's Radisson SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen is widely regarded as a masterpiece of Danish design. One room has been preserved in original sixties form. 
• LEGO, which got its start in the thirties, takes its name from the Danish words leg godt, meaning "play well".
• Bang & Olufsen, founded in 1925, became one of Denmark's greatest design exporters. Its 1964 slogan was "For those who discuss design and quality before price." The ethos remains unchanged today. 
• Verner Panton, the king of mod, brought Denmark into the psychedelic sixties with funky, futuristic plastic furniture. 
• Hans Wegner's most famous piece—simply called the Chair—became hugely popular after its use in the televised Kennedy-Nixon debates of 1960. 
• Made of layers of steel leaves, Poul Henningsen's Artichoke ceiling lamp was made for the Langelinie Pavilion restaurant. 
• Established in 1943 in the farming village of Agunnaryd, IKEA—with 200 stores in 33 countries—is the world's largest furniture retailer. 
• When visiting Stockholm, don't miss SoFo, the area South of Folkungagatan, which has become the city's hot spot for cool design shops. 
• Four young, hip women make up the design collective called Front, best known for the innovative "Animals" series.
• Artek, still producing Alvar Aalto's furniture designs, was founded in 1935 by a group that included Aalto. 
• This year, Marimekko's most iconic print Unikko (poppy) is celebrating its' 50 years anniversary.